Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Leeuwarden

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,588 in Leeuwarden, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Leeuwarden
Learn more

Leeuwarden Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Leeuwarden

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,588

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Leeuwarden

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Leeuwarden actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,202 per month in Lisbon vs $2,588 in Leeuwarden, rent included.

Lisbon $2,202
Leeuwarden $2,588

A couple spends around $3,274 per month in Lisbon vs $3,825 in Leeuwarden, rent included.

Lisbon $3,274
Leeuwarden $3,825

A family of three spends $4,346 per month in Lisbon vs $5,063 in Leeuwarden, rent included.

Lisbon $4,346
Leeuwarden $5,063

Lisbon is about 15% cheaper than Leeuwarden, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lisbon and Leeuwarden sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Leeuwarden by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$22.50 €20.01

-24.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$112 €99.2

-44.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$15.61 €13.88

-29.40%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$3.86 €3.44

-19.17%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 €2.02

$3.73 €3.32

-39.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$2.86 €2.54

-39.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$6.88 €6.12

-50.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$5.35 €4.75

-30.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.16 €1.03

0.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.92 €1.71

-3.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.44 €2.17

-36.89%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$4.37 €3.89

-7.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$12.73 €11.32

1.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$14.38 €12.79

-45.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$16.29 €14.49

8.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$2.32 €2.07

-2.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$2.40 €2.13

-27.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$1.85 €1.65

2.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$5.25 €4.67

-51.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.72 €1.53

7.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.93 €1.72

2.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.21 €1.08

19.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$0.91 €0.81

-15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$14.20 €12.63

-52.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$7.02 €6.24

-19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.88 €1.67

-27.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$1.69 €1.50

24.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$3.29 €2.92

-29.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$127 €113

-65.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$8.78 €7.81

-55.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$3.98 €3.54

-73.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$51.0 €45.38

-66.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.41 €2.15

-9.13%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.8K €30.0K

$41.7K €37.1K

-18.90%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.3K €34.0K

$39.0K €34.7K

-1.84%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$164 €146

$369 €328

-55.64%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$18.48 €16.43

$43.01 €38.26

-57.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$45.83 €40.77

-28.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$37.73 €33.56

21.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

$19.00 €16.90

-1.68%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$16.54 €14.71

-41.05%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$684 €608

$1,353 €1,204

-49.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$22.5K €20.0K

-21.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$114 €102

-9.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$39.18 €34.85

17.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$130 €116

-23.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$136 €121

-8.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$1,351 €1,202

17.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$1,028 €915

13.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$3,851 €3,425

-25.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$1,612 €1,434

23.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$3,638 €3,236

114.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$3,248 €2,889

36.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$2,989 €2,658

-46.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

4.38

-12.10%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Leeuwarden: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Leeuwarden

$1K 39.7% 12% $141

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Leeuwarden

$328 12.7% 20.2% $55

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Leeuwarden

$345 13.3% 39.2% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Leeuwarden

$458 17.7% 113% $243

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Leeuwarden

$189 7.3% 12% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Leeuwarden

$71 2.7% 8.3% $5.4

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Leeuwarden

$169 6.5% 169% $106

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,589 in Lisbon versus $1,351 in Leeuwarden. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 87% higher in Leeuwarden, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Lisbon versus $112 in Leeuwarden. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $328 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇳🇱 Leeuwarden

🕒 Local time

10:32 10:32 AM

11:32 11:32 AM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

91,992

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Leeuwarden 1,970 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Leeuwarden

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Leeuwarden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leeuwarden costs about 18% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,302 per month in Lisbon and $3,882 in Leeuwarden. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $684 per month in Lisbon and $1,353 in Leeuwarden. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Leeuwarden, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,202, than in Leeuwarden at $2,588. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Leeuwarden it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lisbon costs $2,202 versus $2,588 in Leeuwarden. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Leeuwarden makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.